George C. Scott, the star theater and screen actor, dazzled audiences with his challenging roles, which earned him widespread recognition in the film fraternity and around the world. He is best-known for his role as General George S. Patton in ‘Patton’ and Ebenezer Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’. In his earlier days, he had to struggle to find the right roles - it was years later, he landed in his first lead role for the Shakespeare’s production of ‘Richard III’. His performance in this play garnered him a lifetime of notable roles on stage, television and films. His first film, ‘The Hanging Tree’ instantly earned him an Oscar nomination, but he refused to be associated with the Oscars because he believed that the competition it generated among fellow-actors demeaned the profession and prompted a sense of false prestige among people. Despite his temperamental and sometimes erratic behavior and stubborn views about awards, his acting talent and the roles that he carefully chose, earned him many more nominations in a number of award ceremonies. His personal life was a tumultuous one, with four marriages and two scandalous relationships with Ava Gardner and Karen Truesdell.